Hearing device for persons with defective hearing



July 7, 194-2. E B soN 2,288,668

HEARING DEVICE FOR PERSONS WITH DEFECTIVE HEARING Filed Aug. 3, 1940 Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEARING DEVICE FOR PERSONS WITH DEFECTIVE HEARING 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improved hearing devices for aiding persons having defective hearing and more particularly the invention relates to improved hearing devices for assisting persons having defective hearing in listening to music and speech emanating from phonographs and loud-speakers of radio receiving sets or other sound reproduction devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient hearing device which may be secured adjacent a phonograph or radio receiver loud-speaker to conduct the sound waves to the auditory canal of the wearers ear without distortion or'impaired fidelity.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hearing device for persons with defective hearing which is easily adjusted to the ear of a wearer and after adjustment may be worn with ease and. comfort.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hearing device having a sound collecting chamber which is provided with means whereby it may be secured to the grill of a phonograph, radio receiving set or other sound reproducing device immediately in front of the loudspeaker.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved securing means for fastening the sound collecting chamber of the hearing device in a position so that sound waves emanating from a loud-speaker will be collected in the chamber.

A still further object is to provide an improved supporting head band which is comfortable to wear and which may be adjusted in size and which adjustably supports the ear piece or connector of the hearing device.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description of the improved hearing device for persons with defective hearing is explained, reference being made to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved hearing device;

Figure 2 is a perspective of an extension lug employed to secure the sound collecting chamber to the grill work of a sound reproducing device;

Figure 3 is a front View showing the sound collecting chamber secured to the grill of a sound reproducing device; and

Figure 4 is a front View showing the sound collecting chamber attached to the grill of a sound reproducing device with the aid of extension lugs.

The improved hearing aid comprises a head encircling band I0, and ear piece or connector I I,

a flexible and resilient sound wave transmitting 55 tubing I2 and a sound collecting chamber I3. The head encircling band I0 is formed of resilient wire which is formed by bending a wire upon itself so that two parts I4 and I5 thereof are located in spaced relation by virtue of the bends I6 and Il located at opposite ends of the head encircling band. By this construction a substantially semi-circular elongated loop is formed by said resilient wire to provide the head encircling band II]. A cup-shaped resilient ear pad I8 is formed with a grooved extension I9 which is adapted to fit between and be secured by the two parts I4 and I5 of the resilient wire. In view of the fact that the cup-shaped resilient ear pad I8 is secured by the wires in the grooved extension I9, the pad may be adjusted to any desirable position upwardly from the bend I5 although preferably the ear pad will be secured at the bend l6. An offset portion 20 is provided on the opposite side of the head encircling band from the cup-shaped resilient ear pad I8 which permits the bend Il to be located in spaced relation to the head of the wearer. The bend Il comprises an arcuate section 2| within which the sound wave transmitting tubing I2 is adapted to be clamped by pressure resulting from the resilient characteristic of the wire. The flexible and resilient sound wave transmitting tubing I2 is preferably formed of rubber and may extend several feet in length although the length of the tubing may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

An ear piece or connector II is provided which has a passageway therethrough and a rounded end 32 adapted to be positioned in the orifice of the ear. A section of the ear connector of reduced diameter is inserted in the end 33 of the hollow sound wave transmitting tubing I2 and due to the resilience of the tubing the connector is maintained in place by friction although adhesive or cement may be used to maintain the connector in position if desired. The ear piece or connector II may be formed of wood, metal or synthetic resins although preferably the member is formed from hard rubber. Due to the ofiset 20 in the head encircling band ID, the tubing I2 is clamped a distance from the rounded end 32 of the ear connector. Thus a straight passage is provided for the sound waves just prior to entering the orifice of the ear which prevents distortion of the sound waves and prevents the impairment of fidelity.

The sound wave collecting chamber or collector I3 comprises a bell-shaped body 22 to which is connected in the upper portion thereof an extension tube 23 which is inserted in the end 34 of the tubing l2 and maintained in place by friction. By this construction the sound waves collected in the bell-shaped collector have a free and uninterrupted passage to and through the ear connector H. A substantially flat and extended flange 24 is formed about the periphery of the mouth 35 of the bell-shaped sound collector I3. As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the

diameter of the flange is considerably greater than the diameter of the mouth 35 of the bellshaped collector. The sound collector I3 is preferably formed of flexible rubber which may be molded into the desired shape.

Figure 2 shows an extension lug 25 which is adapted to be secured to the extended flange 24 of the sound collector 13. The extended flange 24 is provided with headed studs 26 which are supported by the extended flange. The extension lugs 25 are provided with a keyhole slot 21 through which the head of the stud 26 is inserted and the extension lug is maintained in place by moving the lug until the stud is positioned in the narrow portion of the keyhole slot 21. By virtue of this connection the extension lug may be rotated around the mouth of the bellshaped sound collector in any desired manner employing the stud as a pivot. It is contemplated that other types of securing means for attaching the extension lugs to the flange of the bellshaped sound collector may be employed without departing from the scope of this invention.

Figure 3 discloses the manner in which the extended flange 24 of the bell-shaped sound collector I3 is employed to secure the device to the grill work of a sound reproducing device. Reference numeral 30 denotes the members of the grill work and numeral 3| denotes the fabric covering which is conventionally employed in front of the loud-speaker of sound reproducing devices. A portion or portions 32 of the extended flange 24 is inserted between the grill work 30 and the fabric 3! and due to the frictional contact the sound collector I3 is maintained in supported position. The sound collector may also be secured in position by wedging the bell-shaped body 22 between adjacent branches or members of the grill work. If the members of the grill work are spaced so far apart that they cannot be used to secure the sound collector l3 in place either by wedging action or by frictional contact between the grill and covering fabric, the extension lugs 25 may be secured to the extended flange 24 of the sound collector as described above and the lugs may be inserted between the grill work and covering fabric in order to maintain frictionally the sound collector l3 in front of the loud speaker of the sound reproducing device as shown in Figure 4.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments together with certain particular uses to which the invention is adapted, it is to be understood that numerous variations will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended that such modifications will be encompassed by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hearing device for persons having defective hearing comprising a substantially semicircular elongated loop of resilient wire forming a head encircling member with the portions of the resilient wire positioned a spaced distance apart, a resilient cup-shaped pad between the portions of the Wire adjacent one end of the member and an ear connector adjustably secured between the portions of the resilient wire at the opposite end of the member, a bell-shaped sound collector provided with attachment means and sound conducting means connecting said sound collector and said ear connector.

2. A hearing device for persons having defective hearing comprising a substantially semicircular elongated loop of resilient wire forming 35 a head encircling member with the portions of the resilient wire positioned a spaced distance apart, a resilient cup-shaped pad between the portions of the wire adjacent one end of the member and an ear connector adjustable secured between the portions of the resilient wire at the opposite end of the member, a bell-shaped sound collector having an extended flange located around the periphery of the mouth of said collector, extension lugs extending beyond the flange of the bell-shaped member, means for adjustable securing the extension lugs to said extended flange and sound conducting means connecting said ear connector and said sound collector.

5O EARL B. ATKINSON. 

